Urban Art Association

What a fun idea and generous gesture.

I don't know if this qualifies as Englishness, but there's an old man that lives round the corner from me. Lovely guy and I usually see him about twice a day. First few years I knew him, he would always ride past on his bicycle. Once in the morning and then again in the evening. Always going to the corner shop at the end of the road. I often threatened to buy him some lycra shorts. Anyway, sometime last year, he had a spell in hospital and wasn't as steady with his balance after that. But since then, twice a day, every day, he walks his bike to the shop and back. Doesn't try to ride it. Just walks it. I've asked him "Why'd you still take the bike?" and he just answered "For the exercise."

I can give you an example of my own Englishness. When crossing into the States, I had to be processed by the border control. I walked into the building and it was only myself and the guards behind the kiosks. The whole room was laid out with that snaking, queuing barrier thing. Anyway, one of the guards looked at me and called me over. Instead of walking 12 feet directly to his kiosk, I proceeded to walk down, and up, and down, and up, and down, and up the empty queue line, up and down the room, while all the border guards just stared at me, wondering what the hell I was doing.

Hey, a queue is a queue. Even if you're the only one in it.

One final thing (Columbo style)

There's a play park near where I live. One day, I noticed someone had left a pair of soiled knickers and a broken vibrator ring (the ring part was broken) by the fence.

The knicker's went almost immediately (not to me), but the ring stayed there for a couple of days. Then the third day, it vanished.

Next day, a handwritten notice appeared on the fence, in the exact same spot the vibrator ring had been. Written in the unmistakable scrawl of an elderly individual. "FOUND. HEARING AID. CALL: 01789......."

Nice St Georges day gesture and giveaway Grafter. If only I could spend a few hours getting a little stencil piece done .

For me something that sums up the English way of life is the good old English seaside.

As the dad of twin seven year old boys its the ideal way of tiring them out and imposing on them all the 'fun and games' my dad made me do.....starting with the obvious question on the way there of.......wait for it....... yep that's right........Are we there yet? countless times. Then the games begin football, rounders, rockpooling, digging holes, burying each other etc etc only breaking for the dreaded sandy butties and 99 ice cream. Once the beach is done with its got to be a trip down the pier for a pounds worth of 2p on the push penny arcade finishing off with fish and chips before heading home........ sunburnt of course.

Classy day out eh but so English